Current-motor.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

I. ABBOTT.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0 Alt/1m eys.

WUWESSES. I M% ZWM.

1n: mamas PETERS co., WASHINOION, n. c.

PATENTED JULY 3 1906.

I. ABBOTT.

CURRENT MOTOR APPLIOATION I'ILED SEPT. 10, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS :o., nmsumm'ou, n. c.

UNITED srnrns PATENT OFFICE,

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed September 10, 1904. Serial No. 223,962.

To 0Z6 w/tom, it NMLIZ/ concern.-

Be it known that I, IRA ABBOTT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Wyandotte, in the county of l/Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Motors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in current-motors; and its object is to provide a device which is adapted to be seated upon the bed of the stream in a submerged position and to so construct and arrange the same that it will develop a high horsepower when placed in a comparatively slow-running current.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide a construction which will facilitate the placing of the device in position in the stream and to provide certain other new and useful features, all as hereinafter more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention with parts broken away to show the construction; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail view of one end of the same, showing the side of the housing and parts of the wheel broken away to show the construction. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the axis of the wheel, and Fig. 4 a horizontal section through the same.

A long narrow structure 1, formed of sheet metal and iron or other suitable material and of a height to rest upon the bed of the stream and project above the surface of the water, is provided, the part below the water being open at each end and forming a flume 2, withm the downstream or lower end of which a current-wheel 3 is j ournaled, said structure at the same time forming a housing for the wheel. The portion of the structure above the water forms a house 4 for the power-transmitting or other machinery (not shown) actuated by the wheel.

The wheel 3 is mounted upon a shaft 5, journaled in suitable bearings on the housing and consists of a cylindrical drum made up of sector-shaped sections with spaces or slots 6 between, within which are radially-movable blades 7. The drum-sections each consist of two sector-shaped end frames 8, to which is riveted a sheet-metal covering 9, inclosing the same on all sides and forming a smooth outer surface, and the plates 10, which are riveted l to and close the ends of the sections. These sections are secured to the wheel-hubs 11 with the spaces 6 between by bolts 12 passing through openings in the flange of the hub and the frames 8 at their inner angles and are connected and held spaced apart at the periphery by ring-plates 13 made in sections, each section being riveted to the ends of two adjacent drum-sections across the space or slot 6 between. Each blade 7 is rectangular in form and of a width and thickness to fit in the slots between the rings 13 and move freely, each blade being provided at each end with a laterally-extending stud or pin 14:, provided with a sleeve to form an antifriction-roller to engage a channel ring or groove 15, secured to the walls 16 of the housing eccentrically to the shaft or axis of the drum and with its axis vertically below the drumaxis. The blades are thus held and guided by the engagement of their studs with the channels and revolve around the axis of said channel-rings, while the drum revolves upon the shaft having a different axis, the relative location of said axes being such that when each blade is in a vertical position above the shaft it will lie wholly within the drum and when in a vertical position below the shaft it will extend out of its slot in the drum the maximum distance.

The upper wall 17 of the housing is curved concentrically with the axis of the channelrings extending downward a short distance at each side of the wheel and contacting the face of the drum at its upper side to prevent the water from passing over the wheel, and the upper wall 18 of the flume 2 curves downward to meet the forward end of the wall 17 and direct the incoming water downward upon. the forwardly-projecting blades and beneath the wheel. The bottom 19 of the flume is so positioned that a space 20 is left between it and the outer end of one of the blades when in its vertical downwardly-extending position, and said bottom is curved upward at 21 rearwardly from the vertical blade into engagement with the outer end of the next blade when said blades are in the described position, thus causing the water to shoot upward and around the wheel, exposing the blades after they have passed the vertical center line to the action of the water. From the rear end of the upwardly-curved portion the bottom is again extended horizontally at 22 to the rear open end 23 of the housing, thus making a free discharge for the water. The space between the drum and the bottom is gradually narrowed by the upwardly-curved portion, and thus the W ater will act with greater force on the blades. i

The ring-plates 13 lit tightly against the l side walls 16 of the housing, thus preventing l the water from passing at the sides of the 5 wheel, and as the drum-sections are watertight and the blades fit closely within the slots the water is excluded from the interior 1 of the wheel. The upper wall 17 being curved concentrically with the axis of the ch annel-rings, the ends of the blades contact said wall and together with the drum etlectually prevent water from passing over the wheel, and the blades are successively presented in the most eiiective position to the force of the downwardly-dc[lected water from the deflecting-wall 18 as they pass the end of wall 17.

A chamber 2 L is formed at one end of the wheel by providing a second wall 25 parallel with one of the walls 16, which wall 16 curves outward into line with the wall 25 at the forward side of the wheel, and on the end of the shaft within the chamber is secured a sprocket-wheel 26, engaged by a sprocketchain, by means oi which motion is transmitted from the wheel-shaft to a transverse power-shalt 27, mounted in bearings in the upper or house portion i or" the structure.

Vertically-movable gates 28 are provided in each end of the flume, so that the water may be shut out to stop the wheel or raised or lowered to regulate its speed. The gates may also be closed and the water pumped out of the tlume, so that it may be entered to repair the wheel, &c., and in setting the structure the gates may be closed and calked to make them water-tight, the structure then launched and towed to the place where it is desired to set it, and the gates then opened, letting the structure fill and sink to its resting-place in the bed of the stream.

By providing the tlume 2 a large body of water is confined and directed to the wheel, and as the space between the drum and the bottom of the flume is small in comparison with the cross-sectional area of the flume this body of water will exert a great force against the blades extending across said space to turn the wheel.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a current-motor, the combination of a structure provided with a passage forming a iiume and also forming a housing for a currentwheel near one end thereof and engaging the wheel at its upper side and ends to prevent the water from passing the wheel eX- cept at its lower side, and a current-wheel comprising a drum with movable blades in said housing.

2. In a current-motor, the combination of a structure adapted to rest upon the bed of a stream, a passage having top, bottom and side walls in the lower part of said structure and forming a submerged flume, a currentwheel comprising a drum with movable blades within said flume near its lower end and engaging the top of the passage, and a gate to close the upper end of said flurne.

3. In a current-motor, the combination of a structure adapted to rest upon the bed of a stream, an open-ended passage in the submerged portion of said structure having a bottom and side walls forming a flume and a housing for a current-wheel at one end of the fiume, a current-wheel comprising a drum with movable blades within said housing, and a top wall for the flume having a downwardly-curved portion at the forward side of the wheel to direct the incoming water downward and around the wheel.

4. In a current-motor, the combination of a structure having a submerged flume, a current-wheel comprising a drum with movable blades within said flume near the lower end thereof and engaging the upper and side walls of the flume to prevent the passage of the water and arranged with a space between its lower side and the bottom of the flume, and a bottom in the flume having a portion curved upwardly and rearwardly from a point vertically below the wheel and into contact with the blades of the wheel at its upper rear end, whereby the water is directed beneath and upwardly around the wheel.

5. In a current-motor, the combination of a fiume having its top wall formed with a.

semicircular portion adapted to be engaged. by a current-wheel and to extend downward a short distance at each side of the wheel and also formed with a downwardly-curved por tion meeting the end of the semicircular portion at the forward side of the wheel, and a current-wheel journaled in bearings on the side walls of the flume and consisting of a drum-shaped body engaging the upper semicircular wall and side walls and provided with movable blades.

6. In a current-motor, the combination with a flume, of a current-wheel in said flume consisting of a drum engaging the upper wall of the flume at its upper side and the side wall at its ends and provided with radial slots, blades in said slots, and means whereby the blades are caused to project from the drum-slots to oppose the passage of the water at the lower side of the drum and to lie within the same at its upper side.

7 In a current-motor, the combination with a flume forming a housing, of a currentwheel in said housing consisting of a drum engaging the upper wall of the housing and provided with radial slots, blades in said slots, a grooved ring at each end of the wheel supported eccentrically to the axes of the drum with its aXis vertically below the drumaxis, and means on each end of each blade for engaging the groove in said ring.

8. In a current-motor, the combination with a structure adapted to be seated on the bed of a stream, of an open-ended passage in the lower part of said structure forming a flume, the upper wall of which is formed semicircular near one end, a current-wheel consisting of a drum formed of sector-shaped sections secured together with spaces between forrning radial slots and blades in said slots, a grooved ring secured to each side wall of the fiume eccentrieally to the axis of the drum with its axis coincident with the axis of the semicircular portion of the upper wall and studs on the ends of the blades engaging the grooves in the rings 9. In a current-motor, the combination with a structure having a lower portion adapted to be seated upon the bed of the stream and an upper house portion projecting above the surface of the water, of an open-ended passage in the lower portion forming a flume and also a housing for the current-wheel, the upper wall of said flume being formed semicircular in longitudinal section near one end to extend downward at each side of the wheel and provided with a downwardly-curved portion meeting the forward end of the semicircular portion, a

shaft journalcd in bearings on the side walls of the flume, hubs secured to said shaft, sector-shaped sections secured to said hubs with spaces between forming radial slots, blades in said slots, ring-plates secured to the ends of the drum to hold the sections, grooved rings secured to the side walls of the flume eccentrically to the axis of the drum with its axis coinciding with the axis of the semicircular portion of the wall, studs on the ends of the blades to engage the grooves in said rings, a bottom portion forming a part of the bottom of the flume, curving upwardly and rearwardly from a point vertically beneath the drum and at a distance below the lower ends of the blades into engagement with the ends of said blades, a water-tight chamber at one side of the Wheel outside the wall of the flume into which the shaft extends, and means on said end of the shaft for transmitting motion therefrom.

In testimony whereof I afhx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IRA ABBOTT. Witnesses:

OTTO F. BARTIIEL, ADoLPH BARTHEL. 

